PCOS Review Newsletter #139

A free health newsletter for women with PCOS, polycystic ovaries or ovarian cysts.   Issue #139      August 21, 2011

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1) Kickstart Ovulation with a Smaller Belly

2) PCOS Increases Risk for Endometrial Cancer

3) 4 Tips to Take Pressure Off Yourself

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1) Kickstart Ovulation with a Smaller Belly

Fortunately, some of you are lean. But many are overweight, even seriously overweight.

Maybe you are one of those who is overweight and can't become pregnant because you're not ovulating. Maybe you were told to lose weight in order to become pregnant.

The problem is, losing weight causes some women to start ovulating, but not others. This has puzzled researchers.

However, new research from the University of Groningen in The Netherlands may have an answer. They studied 32 overweight women who had PCOS for six months. During this time, they were put on a healthier lifestyle program. The researchers scanned the body fat distribution of the women at 3 months and again at 6 months. They then compared the fat distribution of the women who had ovulated to the women who had not ovulated.

They discovered that the women who ovulated were the ones who lost somewhat more weight than the non-ovulating women. But that was not the main distinction.

The main distinction was that the ovulating women lost much more visceral fat, which is the deep internal abdominal fat that is packed between your organs such as stomach, liver, intestines and kidneys. They also lost a little more surface fat than the non-ovulaters.

So if you're trying to conceive but are overweight, we suggest you focus your attention primarily on reducing your waist circumference and not so much on your total weight. Shrinking your waist is a way to increase your chances of becoming pregnant.

There are two big culprits responsible for building up belly fat: insulin resistance and the stress hormone cortisol. If you can improve insulin function and reduce cortisol, you will help your belly get smaller.

Here's how to better control these hormones.

1) Step up your exercise! The University of California has reported that 41% of women with PCOS are couch potatoes. If you're in this group, find a way to get started with serious physical activity. A combination of cardio and muscle resistance exercises is recommended. Not only does exercise burn off fat, it also reduces insulin resistance.

2) Find ways to reduce your stress level so that you can reduce your cortisol levels.

3) Get started on a diet to reduce "empty calories" and improve insulin function.

The above are the three basics you need to master if you are to lose belly fat and improve your chances of starting a family.

Source:
Kuchenbecker WK et al, In women with polycystic ovary syndrome and obesity, loss of intra-abdominal fat is associated with resumption of ovulation, Hum Reprod. 2011 Sep;26(9):2505-12.

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2) PCOS Increases Risk for Endometrial Cancer

Polycystic ovary syndrome has a few rather serious long-term downsides, chiefly the increased risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

But let's not forget cancer as another possible risk.

The University of Queensland recently reported a study of 156 women with PCOS vs. 398 other women. All of the women were less than 50 years old.

The researchers discovered that the PCOS women had four times the risk of endometrial cancer than the women without the disease. Endometrial cancer is a cancer occurring in the lining of the uterus.

PCOS symptoms such as hirsutism (excessive hair growth) and very irregular periods were significantly associated with endometrial cancer risk.

The concerning aspect of this study is that the risk of endometrial cancer was increased before the women even reached 50 years of age. Usually, this cancer is noticed in women over 50 years old.

Therefore, you should get regular medical checkups. If you experience any unusual vaginal bleeding or pelvic pain, it's wise to consult with your doctor.

Endometrial cancer is thought to be caused by too much estrogen, or a condition called "estrogen dominance".

Any number of factors can contribute to estrogen dominance, such as:

• Too much testosterone, which can be converted into estrogen.
• Insufficient production of progesterone.
• Insulin resistance.
• Obesity.
• Exposure to estrogenic environmental chemicals.
• Liver disease (surprisingly common in PCOS).

If you can correct the above problems, you're taking a big step towards reducing cancer risk. Of course, an excellent place to get started is to improve your diet and increase your exercise.

Source:
Spurdle AB et al, Polycystic ovary syndrome increases the risk of endometrial cancer in women aged less than 50 years: an Australian case-control study, Cancer Causes Control. 2010 Dec;21(12):2303-8.

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3) 4 Tips to Take Pressure Off Yourself

How often do you put unnecessary pressure on yourself by trying to do and say the right thing?

Here are 4 phrases to help you lighten up, reduce the pressure of everyday life, and reduce the psychological and physical burden of PCOS.

1) "I don't know".

Many times we're hesitant to say "I don't know" because we're afraid others will think we're incompetent. But actually you're just human and can't possibly know everything. So it's OK to not know everything. No one does. And you can always say, "I can find out and let you know later."

2) "I need help".

Everyone needs help from time to time. Some women with PCOS may tend to isolate themselves. Unfortunately you're going to burn out without a support system.

Saying "I need help" must be done at the appropriate time, especially at home. When you say I need help with the housework or yard work, you're implying that it's all your job. Since we teach people how to treat us, be careful not to take on more responsibility than you can handle. You could say something like this: "I need you to share responsibility for the housework or yard work."

3) "I was wrong".

When you're wrong, admit it. If you don't, someone else will be pointing their finger and saying it for you. Apologize only once, then take your energy and go right into problem solving. Ask "What can we do to fix this situation?"

4) Learn to say "no" at the appropriate time.

How many times have you overbooked or overcommitted yourself? Have you become involved with something that you really didn't have time for and didn't want to do in the first place?

It's hard to say "no" to people because we want others to like us. So you end up giving too much of yourself because you don't want to disappoint anyone.

Consider this: It's better for you to decline with kindness and momentarily disappoint the other person. The suffering you experience will be momentary. It's better to be honest with yourself than suffer by ending up doing things you don't have time to do.

Lighten up a little and give yourself a break! Remember -- you a human, a work in progress.

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"Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

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